


Shaking Up My Heart

by x_Lazart_x



Category: Free!
Genre: Dorks in Love, Fluff, Getting Together, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Oblivious Asahi, Pining, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 22:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15423234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/x_Lazart_x/pseuds/x_Lazart_x
Summary: It has started with letters. After moving Asahi had kept in contact with Kisumi through mail and text. Now they're about to start college, he's accepted the fact that he's in love with his best friend and they're about to meet for the first time in over three years. All he has to do is keep his feelings to himself.





	Shaking Up My Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [michellicopter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/michellicopter/gifts).



> Mich please enjoy some of the boys after a terrible day at work. This is all your fault anyway (the title is day6 lyrics, this is... just my life now)

Across the room, where he’d thrown it in a panic just five minutes earlier, his phone went off with the incoming message notification. He knew it was Kisumi, one because he’d just sent him a text and he was notorious for his quick responses and two because it was his customized ringtone. One of the few people to have one. Regardless he sat staring at his study guide for a minute, and then another. His heart was going crazy, it had been since he’d sent the text asking Kisumi if he wanted to meet up now that he was in town. Which was ridiculous. They’d been friends for years and it was just a text message. The worst he could say was no. And yet.

* * *

 

It had started with the letters. When he’d moved in middle school, Haru had already quit the swimming club, Ikuya was taking it hard and so there were only a few people he kept in touch with. That is to say he’d send letters to them all but wasn’t too surprised when he never heard back. After six months that had dwindled and the only person that was still responding to his letters was Kisumi. In between classes, swimming club, and extra training he’d always found time to write his friend. Sometimes it was pages and pages of nonsense, sometimes it was just a page or two to say he wasn’t doing so great, mostly it was about his teammates and friends. They progressed from letters to texts and emails, there was even occasionally a phone call. When he’d made captain the first thing he’d done was text Kisumi. When he’d gotten a new puppy Kisumi was the first one he’d told. One time at the beach he’d found a seashell shaped like an elephant and had immediately taken a picture and sent it to him. 

It had taken him awhile to figure it out but Kisumi was definitely his best friend. It wasn’t until the end of his second year that he realized his feelings were more than platonic. After a few confessions (he was a star swimmer after all) and a few group dates that were unmemorable, it had occurred to him that he really wasn’t interested in anyone. When people asked those silly couples questions and declared the first person that came to mind was the person you loved, well Kisumi always came to mind. That of course was just because they were best friends. But the seed had been planted and he found more and more that he was thinking about Kisumi. What was he doing, what did he look like now, how his voice sounded when he was teasing him down the phone. He could be pretty dense, but even he could figure out that he had a bit of a crush (it took him awhile but he got there). 

During the spring break before his third year his family has plans to pass through Iwatobi on the way to their vacation. It was just to pick up his Grandma, so they’d be there for one night only. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for a reunion. He didn’t have an exact date but he’d given Kisumi an estimated time and he’d responded by making grand plans for them. All he’d done for the weeks leading up to it was talk about it to anyone who would listen. And a few people who didn’t want to listen too. In response his friends has teasingly asked if Kisumi remembered how energetic he was, how much of a pain in the ass. Tackling them, a wrestling match had broken out. His friends had just been kidding, the jerks that they were, yet the idea had niggled away at him. 

In the end they hadn’t met up that trip. He’d told Kisumi their plans had changed and they’d only be in Iwatobi a few hours and that he’d try to stop by. Deciding to leave it to fate he’d swung by the Kisumi household, only to be told that his friend was out. Relief had filled him and he felt guilty, especially considering how nice the Shigino family had been to him. How happy they were to see him and how they asked after his swimming activities. They’d invited him in for tea but he’d turned them down, instead handing over the souvenirs he’d brought with him. 

When Kisumi realized he’d missed him he’d been upset. They talked on the phone for hours that night but Asahi couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth about what he was feeling. It was ridiculous anyway, all he needed was to not hype up the meeting next time. He’d psyched himself out. Besides the next time they had an opportunity to get together these dumb feelings would have passed. 

Since that day they’d had a few more opportunities to meet but fate seemed to be against them. Be it a late train or being away for a tournament, they always just managed to miss each other.  Asahi hated to admit that he was still a little relieved. His feelings hadn’t subsided at all, in fact now that he was aware they existed they were worse than ever. Still he couldn’t keep putting it off. That much was abundantly clear, especially when they’ve done a whole reveal about which college they had picked and as fate would have it they had both chosen Hidaka University.

* * *

 

They’d agreed to meet at a small cafe that was tucked just a few blocks away from the university. It was a Tuesday morning and no school activities had started yet, meaning the place was slow except for a hand full of people there with laptops. A quick glance of the room told him that Kisumi wasn’t here yet. Just to have something to do he went ahead and placed his order, throwing in Kisumi’s favourite as well. It was the polite thing to do. Then he took up a small table right by the door to wait. Two second later he realized that made him look eager and moved further into the cafe. This table was in direct sunlight and he didn’t want to be squinting, so he moved again. Their coffee was brought out, which he was now realizing might have been a bad idea. 

Everytime the door chimed his head shot up, just to be disappointed. Pulling out his phone he checked the time to see that Kisumi still had ten minutes to get there. Re-reading their message from the last few days as a distraction, he scrolled through pages of Kisumi’s excited babbling and heart eye emojis. Glancing up from the screen, his heart jumped into his throat as he zoned in on a mop of pink hair outside the cafe. Kisumi stopped by the door, looking up and down the street before turning and peering in the window. Waving enthusiastically to get his attention, he succeeded in almost tipping over his coffee. His mad scramble to catch it and mop up the few stray drops that escaped gave Kisumi to come up to his table unnoticed.

“Asahi!” Nearly knocking his cup over again in surprise, he spun around to find his friend less than a foot away, grinning ear to ear.  Out of reflex he made a finger gun pose by his face and immediately felt like an idiot. 

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he yelled to cover it, dropping his hand, heat crawling up the back of his neck. “I nearly spilled my coffee.” 

“Again,” Kisumi commented, still grinning, poised as if he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. 

“That’s because some dumbass was just standing outside and not coming in,” Asahi deflected, amazed at how  _ easy _ this whole thing was. Honestly it was like they’d never been apart. Whether it was because they wrote so much or something, he just felt totally at ease. 

“You only gave me the name of the street and said to meet at the cafe! I passed eight of them so far,” Kisumi pointed out. Which, yeah okay. He hadn’t known the name of the cafe but it was obviously the best one on the street so naturally this is where they’d be meeting. He was gearing up to say just that when he kept going. “ But that just makes today even more memorable.” And that was just...so Kisumi. 

Before he could overthink it, or think at all, he was hauling Kisumi in and wrapping him in a tight hug. With a laugh, Kisumi went boneless against him. Locking his knees to take the extra weight, he reveled in the feeling as his friends face pushed into the crook of his neck. The seconds ticked by as they just stood holding each other, until Asahi decided he really needed some space or he was just going to go for it and kiss the other boy. 

“I already got your drink since you were so late,” Asahi said as he pulled away, slipping into his abandoned chair. As Kisumi took up the chair opposite him he marveled at how he had changed so much but looked exactly the same. Which made no sense. 

“So kind, you even got my favorite,” Kisumi commented, humming in delight after taking a sip. “How did you know?” 

“Because you told me,” Asahi said, kicking out under the table till he connected with the other boys foot. It was just a drink, no big deal. 

“I’m pretty sure that was months ago, are you obsessed with me Asahi?” propping his chin up with his fist, a stupid dumb smirk played on Kisumi’s lips. He wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face. With a kiss. 

“You’re not interesting enough to be obsessed with.” Which was definitely not true. What a big fat lie he had just told. With a laugh his kick from earlier was returned, though much more gentle and Kisumi never bothered to take his foot back. Suddenly he was hyper aware of every single nerve ending in his left foot. Kisumi was swinging his foot to some unknown rhythm, gently tapping against his own every few seconds. He couldn’t even brace himself for the upcoming impact. Although he should not be getting this flustered over something so simple. He wasn’t playing footsy with him, there just happened to be limited space below the table. They were both large and these tables were small. Simple. 

“I have plenty to be obsessed with,” Kisumi replied, wiggling his eyebrows. He couldn’t help it, his gaze swept over him, from head to waist. It was quick, it was a reflex but of course he got caught out. Hand coming up to cover his mouth Kisumi gave him a  _ look _ . “What a pervert, I meant my personality.” 

“I am nOT!” Asahi denied, cheeks going bright red as Kisumi burst into peals of laughter. And he was captivated. Whole body leaning forward, foot hooked against his under the table, laughing uncontrollably - “You’re so damn pretty.” 

“Flirting on the first date, so bold!” 

“Date?” That came out more of a squeak than anything else. With that Kisumi straightened up slightly, mouth turning down. 

“Well we’ve been flirting for years, isn’t this a date?” Asahi’s brain was having a very difficult time keeping up. 

“I remember everything you ever told me,” he blurted out. “That’s why I knew what to get you to drink.” He was on a date. With Kisumi. His smile was back full force at that, the entirety of it pointed in his direction. 

“You’re so sweet,” Kisumi said and now their cheeks were both a matching pink. 

“Do you want to go walk around for a bit?” Asahi said, the cafe felt too quiet, too suffocating, and stupid Kisumi’s foot was running up his leg now. Which shouldn’t be getting him excited and yet. 

“You just want to walk holding hands,” the other boy said but he was already up and out of his chair, waiting for him to get up. Jerking to his feet he gathered his untouched coffee, throwing it away as he followed Kisumi out the door. They’d just stepped out onto the street when Kisumi was linking their fingers.Giving his hand a squeeze, he found himself daydreaming about later when he might even be lucky enough to get a kiss. He hadn’t even allowed himself to dare dream that Kisumi would return his feeling and now here they were, on a date. 

His chest was so full he felt like he was going to burst. Tonight he was going to go home and re-read through all their saved messages. Apparently there was years of flirting that he had to catch up on. Hopefully there was many more to come as well. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please come and talk to me about sports anime boys at [my tumblr! ](http://x-lazart-x.tumblr.com/)


End file.
